Improved harness-saddle tree



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FONDA, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.'

IMPROVED HARNESS-SADDLE TREE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,104, dated April 7, 1863.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JoHN FoNnA, of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Constructing Harness-Saddle-Trees; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l is a front view of the front bow of my improved harness-saddle tree; Fig. 2, a top view of the improved saddle-tree 5 Fig'. 3, a central vertical section thereof from front to rear.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the gures.

The great objection to harnesssaddle trees now in use is that while the front bow is of about the same height as that of the hind bow, although the Withers of a horse, upon which the front bow fits, are higher than the back, upon which the hind bow rests, yet the shank of the check-hook, and the nut which secures it to the tree, have to occupy their space beneath the front bow, thereby causing the same to bear too much upon and gall the Withers, especially when the check-rein draws much upon the saddle. Besides, the leather to which the leather seat and saddle-skirts are tacked has either to come below the front bow, and occupy additional space, or come between the front bow and seat-piece, which comes over the front bow, and makes the saddle clumsy in appearance and unnecessarily heavy.

The object of my invention is to obviate these objections; and the invention consists in raising the top of the front bow so as to form an elevated recess in the under side of the same, for the reception of the shank of the check-hook and the nut for attaching the same to the tree, and in shortening the seat part of the cantlepiece, so as to iit it in a recess, of dovetail or equivalent form, behind the bolthole in the front bow, thereby producing a compact, well-shaped, and lighter saddle, and

bringing the check-hook and nut above the arch of the front bow, so that they will not ride upon and chate the Withers.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the front bow of the saddle-tree, and in the top of this is formed the elevated recess a, wherein the shank b of the check-hook, and the nut c for securing the same to the tree, are located, above the general elevation of the arch of the bows, substantially as represented. Then the canile-piece B, instead of extending forward over the front bow and under the head of the screw-bolt d, which secures the ch eckhook to the front bow, it is made only long enough, and is of the proper shape to fit into the dovetail socket g, behind the thick part of the recessed elevation of the front bow, and is secured in place by a bolt or rivet, f, or its equivalent. The tops of the seat-piece and of the front bows are iiush with each other, and, together, have the form required, compact and elegant.

Besides the advantages sufliciently set forth above, and which are of much importance, this method of construction raises the checkhook higher than the old forms of trees, so that the check-rein draws upon it closer down to the saddle, and has not so much tendency to make the saddle bear heavily upon the Withers. The check-hook also, besides being raised out of the way, is held more firmly in the recess, which thus receives it, than when situated below the regular arch of the front bow. There is also a notch or recess, h, under the front edge of the front bow, above the check-hook recess, for the reception of the strip of leather t', to which the leather coveringis tacked. lhns this occupies no additional room to the detriment of any part.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Forming an elevated recess, a', above the arch of the front bow, and attaching the cantle-piece in a socket or cavity behind the bolthole of the front bow, above said elevated recess, substantially as and for the purpose herein speciied.

The above is a full and exact description of my improvement in constructing harness-saddle trees.

JOHN FONDA Witnesses:

R. J. WILSON, J. B. STURTEVANT, E. J. MEEGAN. 

